The story of Tinsel

 

Most of us at sometime or another have decorated a green pine tree for Christmas, with lights, a star at the top and hanging ornaments on the branches. And some still put tinsel which look so much like icicles

There is a story about the origin of tinsel.

This tradition is about the tale of the Christmas spider, which led to the reason for tinsel at Christmas.

The story is that a woman immaculately cleaned her house for Christmas. All the house spiders were swept to the corners of the house with nowhere to go. And the woman put up her bare tree with on decorations

The spiders learned there was a beautiful Christmas tree in the room and wanted to take a closer look. The spiders saw it, loved it so much, and danced all over it. All the spiders left their webs behind, covering the whole tree.

Then the Baby Jesus saw the beautiful webs and miraculously transformed them into silver and gold tinsel so the woman who worked so hard to clean her house would be filled with joy

In honor of that story or tale, people hang tinsel of silver and gold on their Christmas trees. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but we do know that every decoration we hang, every Christmas carol we sing, every candy cane we give away, should lead us to that stable where we find the our new born Savior.

Make this Christmas a truly "Merry Christmas, but most importantly a Blessed Christmas" by giving Jesus, a heart that gives and prays for all those who don’t have what you have.

And to all a Merry Christmas

 

The Invitation

 

Three words that, for me, can sum up the season of advent. Invite, prepare and celebrate. Most of us are very familiar with the preparation aspect of Advent.

 Preparing for what is to come. Preparing for His arrival, or His birthday party, or His second coming, or maybe most importantly, preparing for our own personal meeting with our Lord.

 But there is also an invitation sent by God to all us. We are like those shepherds in the fields on Christmas morning, and the angel appears and announces to us the good news.

 The Messiah, our Lord and Savior has been born, then inviting them to go and welcome the one lying in a manger.

 And the shepherds, in all their excitement, responded and said yes to the glorious invitation, and found the new born Infant with Mary and Joseph. They celebrated in amazement and told all the world.

 It all begins with the invitation.  And Jesus with all his love for us gives us so many invitations throughout Scripture. “Come to me and rest awhile, those who labor.

 “Follow me”, he tells his us and “take up your cross”. It is those who follow him he rewards with the gift of eternal life. He has invited us all to His banquet table, and to those who are prepared, to a feast fit for a king. And to a meal especially prepared by himself.  

 We are all familiar with invitations in everyday life. They may be in the form of requests, appeals, or even demands. But what we may not be aware of are the many invitations from God himself, whispering to us, wanting to be with us, and inviting us to be with him.  

 To Zacchaeus, high up in a sycamore tree, Jesus, said, “Zacchaeus, come down, I want to dine with you”, if you will have me as your guest.

 Most invitations usually require some type of a response, an RSVP.  We either go or we don’t go, we’ll do it or we won’t do it. Yes or no.

 We have all heard the story of Peter, walking on water. Peter, who is not simply the leader of the apostles, but one who best represents every man and woman who ever lived. He is us

 As the story goes, on that day in the boat, the wind is tremendous, and the sudden and violent storm had the disciples struggling to stay afloat.  They were scared for their life.  

 And things get worse. They could see a figure approaching them, walking on the water.  People don’t walk on water, if not a person, then it must be a ghost and they cried out in absolute fear. And in this outburst, they hear a voice coming from the figure approaching them, “Do not be afraid, it is I. 

 As in life, Jesus does not leave us in hopeless terror, but speaks encouraging words in a recognizable voice, if only we would listen to his invitation. “It is I, do not be afraid”, “I am with you”.

 Peter with courage and trusts responds and says, “If it is you Lord, command me to come”.  The RSVP

 Yes, he walked on water. But, even when his faith faltered and he began to sink, it was still to Jesus that he cried out for help, “Lord save me”.

The wonderful thing about Peter is that every time he fell, he rose again; and that even his failures brought him closer and closer to Jesus. 

 Every time we call on Jesus, he is already coming toward us. Every time we invite Jesus to our crisis, we are actually RSVPing to his prior invitation

 Day after day we are confronted with situations that put our faith in Jesus to the test. The current circumstances in the world and in the Church may cause us to be depressed, or at least bewildered.

 At times like these our faith may falter; we can doubt that God cares for us. We may even shout, “Where are you God, have you forgotten me”. 

Yet, it is these very moments, these very situations that our faith can be strengthened by calling out to Jesus.

 Jesus is our strength. Even though we may not recognize Him, he is there in the midst of our chaos; there when we need him most – in the storms of our lives.

 Jesus has sent you an invitation, every morning you wake up is an invitation to prepare a place in your heart for him.  This very day he whispers to you these beautiful words, “It is I, do not be afraid”.

 In your very hands is His invitation, it says “come and follow me”. Take a moment today and RSVP Jesus in a prayer.  Let Him know you’re coming. Let Him know you want to join him in his celebration.

 

 

Is that really what God said

 

 “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life”. They are words of wisdom from Peter. We listen to God’s word and God’s word only. We listen to people who preach the true Word of God, not a sugarcoated version or modified to fulfill a worldwide agenda.

 We strive always to be better Christians, regardless of where we find ourselves.  We strive always to please God.  We strive always to live a life that follows the true and powerful Word of God. “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail”. His Word and only His Word is life.

 We are told that only if we eat and drink what he offers will we have eternal life. His Word is the saving Word.

 There are so called leaders separating many away from the True Word of God by false teachings, contradicting Scripture and doctrine.  Jesus says, “Do you also want to leave”? But we are strong, we are the Peter’s of this age. We believe and are convinced that Jesus is the Holy One from God. His Word is the true Word.

 Scripture cannot be changed, cannot be slanted. We read in Psalms, “The sum of Your word is truth, And, every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”

 We need more Peter’s, announcing with courage that only Jesus has the true words for eternal life. And it is only Jesus who can make that claim.

 Pray always for guidance, reflect often on Scripture and follow only the true Word of God.

 

 

By far the best food

Ever since the gates to the Garden of Eden were closed to Adam and Eve, we have been on a journey. A journey we hope will bring us to a new garden, a garden of rich foods and choice wines where we are all seated at that table of plenty.

 And for our journey, God has invited us to his earthly banquet of heavenly food as nourishment for our travels. It truly is a real Banquet, a true gift from God.  God is inviting us in the Eucharist to His table, to share in the banquet He prepared for his Son.

 An exceptional gift for those who are prepared. A gift that every saint before us ate, was feed and yet, wanted more.  With deep reflection, often times in ecstasy, they understood this was their personal encounter with Jesus, the one who has emptied himself for us. They were called to the table of plenty and were fed.

 And today, God is calling us to this same feast, to the banquet at the altar of his Son. So many are invited, but so few come, and those that do, how many are truly prepared to receive the ultimate God given gift?

 For us, receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can and should bring joy, joy so deep it is indescribable. Receiving Jesus with a heart dressed in the white garment for a wedding feast, with righteousness and holiness, can bring tears, real tears of joy, for a gift we can’t explain from an amazing God

 On death beds or after serious repentance, many times brings to a person the true meaning of receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus?  But why? Why does it sometimes take a severe affliction to our lives to understand how much Jesus loves us?

 Marie, who recently passed away was in a nursing home.  For weeks she couldn’t receive the Blessed Sacrament because of physical reasons, but when we visited her, she would whisper and pray so hard and beg us to allow her to receive Jesus, her closest friend. She cried for Jesus.

 One time we walked into her room and Marie was asleep and as we walked over to the other resident in the room we began to recite the Our Father with that woman, and Marie who with eyes closed, had her hands folded in prayer, lip-syncing the Our Father, squeezing so hard her knuckles were white.

 Tears of joy and yet, tears of loss, flowing down her cheeks. She couldn’t physically receive the Blessed Sacrament, but she prepared and brought herself to the table of the Lord. Her heart was dressed in the white garment for this feast.

 There was Jose, a patient in the hospital who didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish, a farm hand recovering from an accident. I thought he would understand when I said “do you want to receive Communion, Jesus.

 I could tell he didn’t know what I was saying. I showed him my pyx, but still I wasn’t getting through.  I opened the pyx and held up the host, the blessed Sacrament in front of him.  He knew then, his eyes filled up and he cried and said sobbing, si, si. Yes, He understood, he understood that this was a feast, God the Father’s gift, and he was prepared to join Jesus at his table. He needed Jesus.

 When we receive God’s Gift of Jesus today, we may not shed the tears of joy like Marie and Jose. But, it’s OK if we do.  But in your heart welcome Jesus as a friend, a helper, a brother, the Son of our amazing God. Our food for the journey

 Receive Jesus, knowing that it is Jesus and the greatest Gift the world has ever known, a gift from God the Father to those who are prepared to receive Him.

 Yes, the rich foods and choice wines are on the table. We pray God someday will call us to that heavenly table, the new Eden.

 And, what a wonderful celebration it would be like Marie, like Jose in the hospital, if we put on our spiritual white garment, prepared and come to the feast to receive Jesus today. Make it special today. With joy and thanksgiving receive Jesus with a heart full of love. And, yes, tears may flow, for He has emptied himself just for you. He has nothing more to give. What a gift - What a God.

A reason to be living

 

What a wonderful thought to think we can be both the salt and the light in the lives of another married couple. We, as husbands and wives, as parents and grandparents, are the salt that can help season the lives and marriages of others.

 We can be the role model, the inspiration for young couples just beginning their marriage preparation.  And we can be the light shining brightly, for those struggling in their relationships.

 Sometimes, unknowingly, others are following our example. They have placed you on that mountain and they hunger to have their troubled marriage be like yours. One or both begin to follow in your foot steps as their role model for a God centered marriage.

 There is an old song sung by many singers and groups, but for those around my age can relate to the one sung by “The Four Aces” called “Love is a many splendored thing”. The words to this song are beautiful.

 Love is a many splendored thing

It's the April rose

“Love is nature’s way of giving
A reason to be living
A golden crown that makes a man a king”

 Yes, marriage is love.  It’s all about love, and that love comes from the desire to please your spouse. It’s the sacrifice and the wish to make that blessed union that is now one, flourish in all eternity. And God is the glue in that union.

 And that love can be compared to God’s eagle’s wings, as it extends those loving wings over the whole family, the children, the grandchildren, and to our neighbor. Yes. Love is nature’s way of giving. That love we express for our family will become rooted in the love of God and will bear fruit for the salvation of our neighbors. God’s love and God’s values.

 Those same values we believe in and practice as parents are eventually taught and with the grace of God, practiced by the entire family. Unfortunately, the values of some individuals and parents, may not be God centered, and for them, their reason to be living is self-centered.

Family life is where we build the foundation for the meaning of love. From there it grows into a promise of lifelong, faithful and fruitful love between husband and wife.  And this is a gift from God, a gift we must cherish and nurture and always share

 I believe all of us have at least one couple that we looked up to, a couple who just seemed to be blessed with the gift of love, a gift shared in their marriage.  A couple whose values imitate the values of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. For me that couple was my grandparents on my mother’s side.

 They were rooted in the Church and in their country and two of the holiest people I ever knew.

They didn’t have much, being really hurt during the depression and never fully recovered, but lived life on sacrifice and love.  And their hearts were so big.  They were constantly giving of themselves and sharing the things that they had, which wasn’t much.  They rarely ever missed daily mass.

 As a child growing up, we would visit them frequently and rewarded with some homemade apple pie my grandmother always seemed to have.  And we always knew they would have for us something to take home. Maybe, it was dime at other times it was just a piece of hard tack candy. 

But whatever they gave you knew it was from the bottom of their heart and with love. They were sharing their only possessions.

 Alzheimer's began to set in with my grandmother. And my grandfather was feeling her pain.

My wife and I went to visit her in the nursing home and although she didn’t remember us she had the biggest smile on her face when we entered the room. Although we were now total strangers to her, that spirit of giving remained in her heart.

 In the nursing home, she no longer had the apple pie to make us feel at home, but she had to give something of herself. Looking through her only bedside drawer she took out a package wrapped in a napkin.  And with that big grand mom smile handed it to me to open.  It was the only thing in her drawer and it was hers to give away. It was giving with love; a cookie and her only one.

 Their difficulties were no different than yours or mine, but God was their resource for strength. They were the domestic Church with God in the center. They shared, they gave whatever they had, they sacrificed for the love of each other and each member of their family and their love cascaded to future generations and his still flowing. They were love. They were to me the light.  With that light their unselfish love in their marriage could not be hidden.  They were God’s gift for marriage to me and too many.

 For they believed that:

 Love is nature’s way of giving

A reason to be living

A golden crown that makes man a king”

Yes, true love's
A many splendored thing.

 And that is God’s family

 

 

 

 

 

It's contagious

Have you ever noticed how beautiful and glowing young couples look when they are truly in love? It’s almost like you read their hearts just by looking at their faces. They radiate a love, a happiness that can many times be contagious to those around them.

And it is also true that our actions, our priorities, even our body language, can reveal who we really are, what we believe in, and where our treasures lie.

Some people may be very quiet about their inner lives. Their sufferings, their heartaches, their concerns are hidden from the world but, yet, the love and peace of Christ still shines through for the whole world to see. They handle their crosses with dignity and trust in God’s help. They feed and are nourished on God’s Word, reflecting on that Word throughout the day.

We have all heard the expression, “You are what you eat”. Yes, to be fit and healthy, we eat foods that will not just satisfy, but nourish and strengthen the body.

There is also another expression, “you become what you think about most”. And today, this world is downright depressing, and we are being bombarded from every possible angle with the satanic beliefs of a world that is chaotic and collapsing. Many have been swayed by the media and social media to join in on this disorder to the point where these beliefs have now controlled their minds. God is no longer even a second thought.

Once a seed, negative or positive is planted in our mind, it can spread even unconsciously. That’s why it is so important to build upon the foundation of our moral beliefs; God’s beliefs, truly living by His Gospel.

“I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure”. Ps 16:18-19

God has made us so beautifully. He made us as a unified person with bodies to express what is in our heart. And he wants to be the center of our thoughts expressing that love in our hearts. He wants to be the object and the love, of what we think about most.

Don’t let this world and its allurements steer you away from inner peace, or from eternal salvation.  Rather, be the one who radiates the love of God, the face of Jesus. even through all the crosses you may bear.

So many people need our prayers. The world needs our prayers and our nation desperately needs, not only our prayers, but our support and our actions to keep God’s presence in America.

Let people read your hearts, just by looking at your face, a face that radiates the love of God.

 

A Generous God! Why?

Many years ago, there was a man who lived a life of thievery, and in those days, a thief, once caught was tried and usually convicted to die. Yes, he was given the death penalty. Back then, a criminal’s death, was slow and torturous, usually lasting for hours of severe pain.

 But, shortly before his last breath, he said a prayer, ironically to the man who was dying next to him, also convicted to die. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

 It was a plea of mercy, a plea of forgiveness. It was a plea from a man who recognized how wrong he lived his life.

 Yes, being tied with ropes and hanging from a tree for hours, exhausted and searching for every breath can be a time to look back on your life. It was on this last day of his journey he asked for forgiveness.

 “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”. For all who seek his mercy, it is there. For all who pray for his mercy, and believe in that mercy, it will be given.  For all those who say, “Jesus I trust in you”, live in that loving mercy.

 Our Gospel reading today presents a very strange parable, startling at least, for it shows how easily the graciousness of God can very easily be mistaken for injustice.

 I work all day and receive an agreed wage.  Others work an hour and receive the same agreed upon wage. Am I jealous? Being human, I could be.

 I live my whole life, seventy or eighty years, serving God and with God’s mercy receive heaven when I die. Am I happy? The happiest I’ll ever be.

 Others live a life devoted to all the pleasures the world can offer, up until their death, and just prior to their death see their misdeeds and plead for forgiveness with true contrition, just like the Good Thief.

 Yes, Mercy is granted to that person and heaven for eternity becomes their new home. Should we be jealous?

 Not if we listen to the powerful words from our Responsorial Psalm, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him”.

 We are all either working in God’s vineyard from the very beginning of our Christian life, or standing around idle somewhere in the world.

 But maybe then through the prayer of others a window of opportunity presents itself to us who are a distance away and God asks us to come work in his vineyard. It may be in the noontime of our life, or at the very end.  

 But, the sooner we enter and work in God’s vineyard we begin to strengthen our character, build on our Christian foundation, live by God’s commandments and be filled with His grace.

 It is then we understand and live by the values that most pleases God. It is then that we live out our Baptismal promises of always being a member of his body and sharing his Word to all we meet.

 It is only then, as soldiers in God’s army we can go and make disciples of all nations, building up God’s kingdom. It is then that we can be the one who presents that window of opportunity to those who are idle, are in the world, far away from his vineyard.

 Yes, we through the help of God we can build up his Church, by igniting the spark in lost souls.

 We are the instrument that allows others to seek the Lord, right now, while he may be found. For many we may be their last hope to call upon the Lord while he is near. For who knows what tomorrow may bring.

 Jesus said to Saint Faustina “Tell all people, that I am love and Mercy itself.” “I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause me when they do not want to accept me”.

 His mercy if for everyone, even for those who are taking their last breath and have never worked in God’s vineyard

 From Scripture God tells us, “The favors of the Lord are never exhausted, his mercies never come to an end”.

 I’m sure many of us have more than one very close relative or friend who has strayed away and so far from God’s vineyard. And we pray every day for their conversion.

 And as time goes on, they seem no closer than before we started to pray. But, with our persistence in prayer on their death bed they ask for a priest, seeking forgiveness of their sins.

 And on that day, on their death bed, a priest brings one of God’s lost souls into his vineyard. On that day, we are not jealous for their entrance into heaven even though they worked only an hour in his vineyard.

 We are filled with tears of joy. A conversion. We knocked and a door was open. Yes, we pray for ourselves, that we stay the course, but we have an obligation to pray for the conversion of all sinners; those who are close and those who may be strange to us.

 And if just one lost soul seeks God’s mercy due to our prayers, St. James tells us “That whoever brings a sinner back from error of his way, will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 Like the Good thief, taking his last breath, the Lord is near to all who call upon Him. He is right by their side. And like the Good Thief, our Lord is saying to that very soul, he has forgiven them.

 And we praise God for prayers answered when we realize that every Good Thief, every sinner, anointed by a priest, whose sins are forgiven, may be hearing the precious and eternal words of Jesus, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. We do have a very generous God.